A wife staying away from home without her husband’s permission

Question

Zayd is a righteous and good-natured Muslim. Twenty years have passed since his marriage. He has seven children. A few months ago he was away for three months to fulfil a certain obligation (fard). He enjoined his wife not to leave the house and go anywhere, and he left having made full provision for all of them. But in his absence she was one day suddenly absent from home, alone, for the whole night and returned at eleven o’clock the next morning.

Answer

It is not permissible for a woman to leave the house without her husband’s permission while he is absent and then stay away the whole night; through disobedience to her husband she has committed a grave sin. However, accusing anyone of fornication (zina) without a confession or testimony valid in the Sacred Law is also impermissible.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

Preview. The full text opens with JavaScript enabled.